Australia is an extremely popular destination for highly skilled young people wishing to start a new life in another country. The country's economy is strong and Australia is actively encouraging the immigration of skilled migrants. Skilled migrants wishing to work in Australia will be assessed on a points based system with points awarded for work experience, qualifications and language proficiency. It is proposed that a new points test for skilled migration visa applications will be introduced on 1 July 2011. It complements the series of reforms the Australian Government announced in February 2010.

The new points test balances the different factors that are considered when determining whether someone will be granted a skilled migration visa. It will deliver the best and brightest skilled migrants by emphasising high level qualifications, better English language levels and extensive skilled work experience.

New Points Test

Points will no longer be awarded for specific occupations, although all applicants must still nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and have their skills assessed in their nominated occupation.

The pass mark is the total amount of points needed to be eligible for grant of a visa and will be set at 65 points. A table summarising the points awarded can be found at the end of this fact sheet. The points test only applies to applicants for the following visas:

• Subclass 475 Skilled – Regional Sponsored
• Subclass 175 Skilled Independent
• Subclass 176 Skilled Sponsored
• Subclass 487 Skilled Regional Sponsored
• Subclass 885 Skilled Independent
• Subclass 886 Skilled Sponsored

Overview of changes to the points test

Age ranges

Eligibility for points is determined by the applicant’s age on the day of making their application. If an applicant is aged between 45 and 49 years of age, they will be able to apply for a visa, but no points will be awarded for age:  

Points	Age
25	18 - 24
30	25 – 32
25	33 – 39
15	40 – 44
0	45 – 49

Better English levels

For all skilled migration points tested visas, the threshold English language requirement will be competent English, which is a minimum score of 6 in each of the four components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test or other language test specified by the Minister. While no points will be awarded for competent English, applicants who have obtained this score are able to apply for a visa as long as they meet the other threshold visa requirements.

Applicants who hold a valid passport and are citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or the Republic of Ireland are deemed to meet competent English language requirement.

To claim points for proficient or superior English language all applicants, including citizens of United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America or the Republic of Ireland, will need to complete an English language test. The test must be completed before the visa application is lodged.

The points test awards points for English language ability as follows:

Points	Description of English language ability
20	Superior English (a score of at least 8 in each of the four components of the IELTS test, or equivalent standard in a specified test)
10	Proficient English (a score of at least 7 in each of the four components of the IELTS test, or equivalent standard in a specified test)

Skilled Employment

Points will be awarded for employment in a skilled occupation, either in Australia or overseas.

To claim points for skilled employment, the experience must be in an applicant’s nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation. Where applicable, applicants can claim points for both Australian skilled employment and overseas skilled employment under the points test.

Applicants will be awarded points based on demonstration of a verifiable skilled employment history undertaken in the last 10 years as follows:

Australian skilled employment in their nominated occupation or a closely related occupation.   

Points	Length of employment
5	One year
10	Three years
15	Five years
20	Eight years

Overseas skilled employment in their nominated occupation or a closely related occupation.

Points	Length of employment
5	Three years
10	Five years
15	Eight years

Australian and overseas employment over the past ten years can be combined, however the maximum number of points that can be awarded for Australian or overseas employment experience or combinations of both is 20 points.

For the purpose of awarding points, the department considers skilled employment in the nominated occupation or a closely related occupation will comprise at least 20 hours employment per week. In determining whether an applicant’s skilled employment is closely related to their nominated occupation, the department will take into consideration the occupations within one unit group classified under Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). Further information about ANZSCO can be found on the department’s website.

Generally, applicants will be able to request an opinion about their skilled employment claims from the relevant assessing authority when seeking their skills assessment. For further information about this process, applicants should contact the relevant assessing authority. See: www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm

The decision to award points for skilled employment remains with of the departmental case officer.

Educational qualifications :

Points can only be awarded for the highest qualification attained. Example: If an applicant is assessed as having completed a Bachelors Degree and a Doctorate Degree, they will only be able to claim points for the Doctorate Degree. The following table outlines the number of points awarded for an applicant’s highest education qualification:

Points	Description of education qualifications
20	Doctorate Degree
15	At least a Bachelor Degree
10	Australian Diploma or trade qualification.
10	Award or qualification recognised by the assessing authority in the assessment of the skilled occupation

To claim points for a qualification obtained overseas, the qualification will need to be recognised as being of a standard comparable to the relevant Australian level qualification. Generally, applicants will be able to request an opinion on their qualification claims from the relevant assessing authority when seeking their skills assessment. For further information about this process, applicants should contact the relevant assessing authority. See: www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm

The decision to award points for Educational qualification remains with of the departmental case officer.

Australian study requirement

Five points can also be claimed by those applicants who have studied in Australia to use the same period of study to claim points for their qualification and for meeting the Australian study requirement.

To claim points for an Australian qualification, the qualification must have been undertaken while the applicant was in Australia and it must have been completed as the result of a course of study that was at least two academic years (that is 92 weeks as registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)). Study must be closely related to the applicant’s nominated skilled occupation.

Study in a regional area

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who satisfy the Australia study requirement while studying in regional Australia.

Completion of a Professional Year

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who complete an approved Professional Year in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

Credentialed Community language

Five points can also be claimed for those applicants who meet the requirements for credentialed community language.

The points test awards points to applicants accredited at the para-professional level or above by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) as either a translator or interpreter. Applicants will no longer be able to claim points for designated language on the basis of having obtained a qualification from a university where instruction was in that language.

Partner skills

Five points can also be claimed for those where the primary applicant’s partner satisfies the threshold criteria for a visa.

To claim partner points the primary applicant’s partner will need to meet the following criteria:

• be included on the same visa application as the primary applicant
• not be an Australian permanent resident or citizen
• be less than 50 years old at the time of application
• nominate an occupation on the same SOL as the primary applicant, and be assessed by the relevant assessing authority as having suitable skills for the occupation
• have competent English
• have been employed in a skilled occupation for at least 12 months in the 24 months before the application is lodged, or completed the Australian Study Requirement.

State or Territory nomination and designated area sponsorship

Points will be awarded for nominated sponsorship as follows:

Points	Description of sponsorship
5	Nomination by a state or territory government under a state migration plan, for the purposes of a subclass 176 or 886 application
10	Nomination by a state or territory government under a state migration plan, or sponsorship by an eligible relative, to a designated area for the purposes of a subclass 487 or subclass 475 Skilled – Regional Sponsored application.

Eligible family members can sponsor applicants on a subclass 176 or subclass 886 visa, however no points are awarded.

The points test will award points to applicants for a subclass 475 or subclass 487 who are sponsored to a designated area by an eligible family member or a state or territory government under a state migration plan. Holders of either of these provisional sponsored skilled migration visas may be eligible for a Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887) after meeting certain eligibility criteria.

Factor	Description		Points
Age	18-24		25 points
	25-32		30 points
	33-39		25 points
	40-44		15 points
	45-49		0 points
English language	Competent English - IELTS 6		0 points
	Proficient English - IELTS 7		10 points
	Superior English - IELTS 8		20 points
Australian work experience in nominated occupation or a closely related occupation	One year Australian (of past two years)		5 points
	Three years Australian (of past five years)		10 points
	Five years Australian (of past seven years)		15 points
Overseas work experience in nominated occupation or a closely related occupation	Three years overseas (of past five years)		5 points
	Five years overseas (of past seven years)		10 points
	Eight years overseas (of past 10 years)		15 points
Qualifications (Australian or recognised overseas)	Offshore recognised apprenticeship AQFIII/IV completed in Australia Diploma completed in Australia		10 points
	Bachelor degree (including a Bachelor degree with Honours or Masters)		15 points
	PhD		20 points
Recognition of Australian Study	Minimum two years fulltime (Australian study requirement)		5 points
Designated language		5 points
Partner skills		5 points
Professional Year		5 points
Sponsorship by state or territory government		5 points
Sponsorship by family or state or territory government to regional Australia		10 points
Study in a regional area		5 points

Applying for a Australian Student Visa

You should read this information form if you are one of the following: 

• outside Australia and intend to apply for a visa to study in Australia
• a student visa holder in Australia intending to enroll in a course of study
• a student visa holder intending to apply for permission to work
• a student visa holder intending to change from one education sector to another
• a visitor, working holiday-maker or other temporary visa holder intending to extend your stay in Australia to undertake full-time study in a registered course.

Student visas – general information

The Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa comprises 8 subclasses. Subclasses 570–576 are based on the education sector of your main course.

The subclasses and the prescribed courses for each subclass are:

• Independent ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) (Subclass 570) ELICOS (non-award and Certificate I–IV) as a stand-alone course. Students undertaking ELICOS as a pre-requisite to another course must apply for a visa under the subclass appropriate to the main course.
• Schools (Subclass 571) Primary school; secondary school including junior and senior secondary; approved secondary exchange programs.
• Vocational education and training (VET) (Subclass 572) Certificate I, II, III, and IV; VET diploma; VET advanced diploma.
• Higher education (HE) (Subclass 573) Bachelor degree; associate degree; graduate certificate; graduate diploma; HE diploma; HE advanced diploma; masters by coursework.
• Postgraduate research (Subclass 574) Masters by research degree; Doctoral degree.
• Non-award (Subclass 575) Enabling course; non-award foundation studies; other full-time courses or components of courses not leading to an Australian award.
• AusAID or Defence (Subclass 576) Full-time courses of all types undertaken by AusAID or Defence students sponsored by the Australian Government.

A further subclass of student visa, the Student Guardian (Subclass 580) visa, provides for certain persons to reside with a student in Australia, where that student requires a guardian. Applications for student guardian visas should be made on form 157G Applications for a student guardian visa.

Package courses

If you want to apply for a package of courses comprising an enabling course (for example, a prerequisite English language tuition, foundation or bridging course) followed by the main course (for example, a Bachelor degree), you must provide evidence of your enrolment in your enabling course, plus letters of offer of a place from the relevant education providers for the other courses in your package. You will be assessed under the visa subclass applicable to the principal course, and at the highest assessment level of the courses in your nominated package (with the exception of any ELICOS course within the package).

You can be granted a student visa to cover the total of the proposed package only if you provide confirmation of enrolment for all courses.

Acceptable courses

To be eligible for the grant of a student (Subclass 570–576) visa, you must be accepted for full-time study in a registered course or part of a registered course.

Acceptance for full-time study is evidenced by an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate or an ‘offer of a place in a course’ letter issued by the registered provider offering you a place, refer to Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of enrolment on page 2. If you are sponsored by AusAID or Defence, a letter from these agencies indicating their support of your study in Australia is required. If you are a secondary school exchange student, you must provide a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form.

A registered course is an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to offer courses to overseas students. Details of registered courses and education providers are available on the internet. See: http://cricos.deewr.gov.au

If you are sponsored by AusAID or Defence, or are a secondary school exchange student, you are not required to enrol in a registered course in order to be granted a student visa. However, you must be enrolled in a full-time course of study or training.

Requirements for the grant of a Student

(Subclass 570–576) visa

To be granted a student (Subclass 570–576) visa, you must meet key requirements. These include a genuine temporary entrant requirement, your financial capacity, English language proficiency, likely compliance with the conditions of your visa and any other matters considered relevant to assessing your application.

There are 5 assessment levels for these evidentiary requirements. Assessment levels are prescribed according to the passport you hold and the education sector of your course. Assessment Level 5 has the most stringent requirements.

Information on assessment levels is available from the department’s website. See: www.immi.gov.au/students/

To be granted a student visa, you must also satisfy the general requirements that are applicable to all student visa applicants. General requirements include you being of good character and sound health, and having acceptable health insurance and no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia.

Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement

Factors considered under this requirement include:

• your personal circumstances such as your potential circumstances in Australia and personal or financial commitments that may provide an incentive for you to return home
• your immigration history such as previous compliance with immigration laws
• if you are a minor, the intentions of your parent, legal guardian or spouse will also be considered.

Evidentiary requirements

Key requirements include:

• Your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, course tuition fees and living costs for the duration of your stay in Australia. Your living costs in Australia are set at AUD18 000 pa. The period for which you must provide evidence of funds, the type of funds considered acceptable, and the savings period for funds may vary with your assessment level and education sector of study. Living costs are a minimum amount set for visa purposes. Living costs vary depending on where you will be living and studying. It is your responsibility to determine what your own costs will be to live and study in Australia. Even if you have permission to work you should not rely on work to support yourself in Australia as a student.
• Your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, living costs and school tuition costs for your family unit members for the duration of your stay in Australia. Living costs for family members are set at AUD6300 for your partner, AUD3600 for your first child and AUD2700 for each child thereafter. School costs are set at AUD8000 pa. Except in very limited circumstances, you are required to provide this evidence regardless of whether your family members intend to accompany you to Australia.
• Demonstrating and/or providing evidence in your application that the funds you are relying on will genuinely be available to you during your stay in Australia.
• Your level of English language proficiency in relation to that required for your assessment level and education sector of study. Where an English language test result is required, it must be an ‘accepted test’ and you must sit this test prior to making your visa
• Your academic record and qualifications completed. Detailed information on requirements can be found on the department’s website.

General requirements

General requirements you must meet include that:

• You are of good character. • You are of sound health.
• You have acceptable health insurance through the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for yourself and members of your family unit accompanying you to Australia. Refer to OSHC on page 5.
• You have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia, or have made arrangements acceptable to the Minister to repay such debts.
• Where you are under 18 years of age, acceptable arrangements for your accommodation, support and general welfare are in place.
• If you are in Assessment Level 2, 3, 4 or 5, do not hold a student visa and are applying in Australia, you must provide exceptional reasons to justify the grant of your visa.

Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of enrolment

If you are lodging a paper application you should provide either an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate or an ‘offer of a place in a course’ letter from your Australian education provider when you lodge your application. However, even if an ‘offer of a place in a course’ letter has been provided to lodge your application, an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate is usually required before a student visa can be granted. Exceptions to this include, but are not limited to the following: • AusAID/Defence scholarship recipients • Secondary exchange students • Postgraduate research students on a subclass 574 student visa while their thesis is being marked. This is because these students provide other forms of evidence of enrolment. To confirm whether you need to provide an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate, you may contact the department. See: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/ If you are applying using the department’s online lodgement facility, eVisa, you will need your electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate to lodge your application.

Student visa conditions

If you are issued a student visa, some conditions will be attached to the grant of the visa. The most common conditions are:

• You must satisfy attendance and/or course progress requirements and maintain a valid enrolment for your chosen course of study.
• You and members of your family unit must not work unless you have been granted permission to work as part of your initial visa grant and you have commenced your course of study in Australia. If you are an Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 student who is undertaking a non-award course, your family members cannot be granted permission to work, unless your study is being paid for by the Commonwealth of Australia or an Australian state or territory government, the government of your home country, or an inter-governmental agency.
• You must maintain your approved Overseas Student Health Cover while in Australia.
• If you are an Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 student whose overall intended period of study is 10 months or less, you will usually be subject to a ‘no further stay’ condition. This means that after entering Australia, you may not be granted any other visa while you remain in Australia, other than a further student visa with permission to work, or a Graduate – Skilled visa1. You may be exempt from the mandatory imposition of the ‘no further stay’ condition if you are an Assessment Level 3 student and can show funds to cover specified tuition, living and school costs for a 12 month period in addition to the period of your intended study in Australia (for further information, see the department’s website).
• A ‘no further stay’ condition may also be imposed on your visa, regardless of your assessment level or period of study, if the decision maker considers this appropriate.
• If you are sponsored by the Commonwealth of Australia or the government of your home country, you may be subject to a ‘no further stay’ condition. This means that after entering Australia, you will not be entitled to be granted any other visa while you remain in Australia apart from a further Student visa with Permission to Work, or a further student visa with the consent of your sponsor.
• You must inform your education provider within 7 days of your arrival in Australia of your current residential address and must advise any changes of address within 7 days. Your provider is required by law to keep your residential address so you can be contacted if you do not satisfy course requirements. If you do not abide by this condition, you may not be aware of any such contact by your provider. This situation may lead to the cancellation of your student visa.
• If you are a student visa holder under 18 years of age, who is neither being accompanied nor staying with a relative who is at least 21 years of age, you must not change your accommodation, support and the general welfare arrangements without the written approval of your education provider. If you want to change your accommodation and welfare arrangements to live with a parent, a person who has custody of you, or a relative who is already the holder of a student guardian visa, you must lodge form 157N Nomination of a student guardian at the nearest office of the department. Further information can be found on the information sheet Applying for a student guardian visa on the department’s website.
• You must continue to be a person who would satisfy the primary or secondary criteria, as the case requires, for the grant of the visa.

Breaching a student visa condition may result in cancellation of your visa.

Permission to work

When applying for your initial student visa, you are required to provide evidence of financial capacity to support your period of stay in Australia. Permission to work is intended to provide you with an enriched cultural and social experience in Australia. You should not rely on work to fund your studies.

From April 2008, all eligible student Subclass 570–576 visas will include permission to work as part of the initial student visa grant.

If you and your family members are granted permission to work in your initial student visas you will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week once your course has commenced. Neither you nor your family members may commence work until the principal visa holder has commenced studying.

While the course you are studying is in session you cannot work more than 20 hours per week. No work limits apply during recognised periods of vacation offered by your education provider. Family members will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week throughout the year. If you commence your masters or doctorate course your family member will have unrestricted permission to work.

The limit on work hours is strictly enforced by the department.

If you have any concerns about your pay and conditions, or other issues at work, you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (all state and territories except Western Australia).

See: http://www.fwo.gov.au/

Telephone: Wageline on 1300 655 266 (Western Australia only).

Members of your family unit

A member of the family unit is your partner (spouse or de facto) or a dependent child of you or your partner who is not married, not in a de facto relationship and who has not turned 18.

Members of your family unit may apply for a student (Subclass 570–576) visa to live with you in Australia as your family unit members. They can apply at the same time as you, or after you have arrived in Australia. However, your family members cannot be granted a student visa if your application is processed at Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 and your proposed course of study is 12 months or less in duration.

All members of your family unit must be declared on your application whether or not they intend to travel to Australia at any time. A member who is not declared will not be eligible for entry to Australia as your family unit member, except for a person who becomes a member after your application was decided. A person who becomes a member after you lodged your application and before it is decided is eligible for entry provided you inform the department in writing of that member’s personal particulars and provide evidence of their relationship to you.

How to lodge your application

If you are applying in Australia you may lodge your application in person, by mail or electronically through the department’s website. Electronic lodgement through the department’s website is the preferred method of lodgement. See: www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/

Applying in person

In some states or territories in Australia you may need to make an appointment to lodge your application. Please telephone the department on 131 881 for advice about whether you need an appointment. If you need an appointment you will be able to make one when you telephone.

Complete application form 157A Application for a student visa and lodge it with your supporting documentation at an appropriate Australian Government office if you are applying outside Australia, or at any office of the department before your current visa expires if you are entitled to apply in Australia.

Residential address

You must provide the address where you intend to live while your application is being dealt with. Failure to give a residential address will result in your application being invalid. A post office box address will not be accepted as a residential address.

Visa Application Charge

You are required to pay the Visa Application Charge, unless you are sponsored by the Commonwealth of Australia or participating in a formal secondary exchange program. Under some circumstances you may not be required to pay a Visa Application Charge if your education provider ceased to offer your course. Check the amount of this charge with your nearest office of the department or Australian Government office. The charge is also listed in form 990i Charges which is available from the department’s website. See: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/

Fees may be subject to adjustment at any time. Visa Application Charges may be subject to adjustment on 1 July each year. This may increase the cost of a visa.

Payment must accompany your application and is generally not refunded if the application is unsuccessful.

Method of payment

In Australia

To make a payment, please pay by credit card, debit card, bank cheque or money order made payable to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Debit card and credit card are the preferred methods of payment.

Outside Australia

Before making a payment outside Australia, please check with the Australian Government office where you intend to lodge your application as to what methods of payment and currencies they can accept and to whom the payment should be made payable.

Supporting documents you need to provide with your application

You must provide all of the documentation needed to support your application (certified or notarised copies) and declare in your application form that you have attached all the required documents.

‘Certified copies’ means copies authorised or stamped as being true copies of the originals by a person or agency recognised by the law of your country to perform such functions. If you are in Australia, copies may be certified by a Justice of the Peace, a Commissioner for Declarations or a person before whom a statutory declaration may be made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.

The documentation required may vary depending on your assessment level and the education sector of your main course of study. To find out what documents you need to provide, refer to the department’s website for the subclass applicable to you.

English translations

Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English translation. If you are applying in Australia, the translator must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) translators are NAATI-accredited.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Generally, you must have acceptable health insurance cover by paying the OSHC for yourself and accompanying family unit members for the proposed duration of your visa. Norwegian students with Norwegian National Insurance Scheme cover and Swedish students with international cover arranged through the National Board of Student Aid (CSN) are covered and do not need to take up OSHC Belgian students are covered by a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement and do not need to take up OSHC.

Your student visa will be valid for the same period as your OSHC policy to ensure that you have OSHC for the entire period you are in Australia.

To arrange your OSHC, you can:

ask your education provider to organise your health insurance cover on your behalf; or

if your education provider cannot assist you, select an approved OSHC provider yourself and pay the insurance. You must provide the office processing your visa with a receipt of payment of the OSHC fee or other evidence that you are covered by OSHC before your student visa can be granted.

Information about OSHC providers is available from the internet See: www.health.gov.au

Re-entry to Australia

A student visa permits multiple entries to Australia. If you or members of your family unit are planning to leave and return to Australia during the period of your study, you and your family members should ensure that you re-enter Australia before the expiry of your visa. If you seek to re-enter Australia after your student visa has expired, you will need to apply for a new student visa overseas, pay the Visa Application Charge and meet current visa requirements.

Applications for a further student visa in Australia

If you want to extend your stay in Australia to complete your current course or to enrol in a new course, you should apply for a new student visa before your current student visa or another visa you hold expires. You may not be granted a new student visa if you hold a student visa with a ‘no further stay’ condition (see Student visa conditions on page 2).

Withdrawal of application

You can withdraw your application in writing at any time before a decision is made. Any charges that you paid at the time you lodged your application are usually non-refundable.

If you applied for a student visa in Australia, you were most likely granted a bridging visa at the time you made your application. If you withdraw your application, that bridging visa will cease to be in effect 28 days after the date of withdrawal. As a result, you will become an unlawful non-citizen 28 days after the withdrawal if you have not departed Australia within that time and you do not hold another valid visa.

Review rights

If you apply for a student visa in Australia and you are refused the visa, you may apply for a review of the decision. You will be notified of your review rights in writing and the time limits for lodging such an appeal.